New Era Cardcaptors
by Alicia Zarra
Summary: "All creatures are perishable, but Magic perpetuates," Sakura said, "Kero, Yue, you two are lucky that you will get to witness the world change." It has been a century since the Cardcaptor—and subsequent Card mistress—Sakura had died, leaving the Sakura Cards and her Guardians in an oblivious sleep to await their new Cardcaptor. Pairings: Touya&Yukito.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I've made a few changes to this chapter.

Disclaimer: Clamp owns it all.

Enjoy :-)

* * *

11:52 P.M., 31December 2098, Tokyo

Laser lights in multifarious colours shot through the Mayonaka Bar and bounced off the walls as a sea of bodies swung to the music. The bar counter overflowed as the partygoers decided to have another fill before the countdown.

"One more tequila," a middle aged man sat down just as the crowd was ebbing, "Nice band up there," he said, a bit short in breath from all the dancing.

The barman handed out his order, "Yeah, it's a rock band. They call themselves "The Echoes." Doin' good these days, one album out and they're gaining popularity."

Up on the stage, "The Echoes" came to the end of yet another song. "One more before the countdown," the lead guitarist's quiet voice rang through the microphone like a simple yet magnetic tune.

The music started again and picked up tempo as the crowd resumed their dancing. The guitarist, too, was lost in the music, closing his eyes as the black bangs brushed across his eyelids.

Behind him, a silver-haired teen smiled as his hands glided across the keyboard. The guitarists increased their pitch, nearing the end. The keyboardist and drummer followed suit. The band hit their last note and prolonged it, while the crowd cheered on.

The countdown started, and with it came a feeling of elation, creating a mystical ambiance. Most of the crowd was too numb—owing to the heavy alcohol consumption—to notice it. But the raven-haired guitarist felt a wave of cold air that chilled him to the bone.

Outside, the wind blew with a velocity that usually indicates the coming of a storm. For a while, there was utter chaos as the trees flapped their arms, ridding themselves of some of the snow that had accumulated on their leaves. The wind screeched out an unnatural sound as it hit against the high-rising buildings of Tokyo, baffling any late-night bystander. The windstorm subdued just as quickly as it had come and the full moon shone with a renewed glow. The next morning, the sun would rise with a brighter blaze.

After a long slumber, Magic had finally awakened.

* * *

_"Do you still miss Clow?" Sakura asked one fine morning, as she gazed out the window._

_Yue looked up with a start._

_"I'm sure you do," she continued, "I wouldn't know what to do without Syaoran," she turned around to look at the Moon Guradian, "you must understand that."_

_Yue remained silent._

_"There is something I need to tell you and Kero" Sakura called out Keroberos' name and asked him to join her._

_The Sun Guardian entered with considerable clamour, "You do realize we need more cake, and could you make that lemon tart you'd made two days ago? That was deliiiiicious!"_

_"You have one hell of an appetite for a plush toy" Syaoran emerged from the spell-room, wearing his usual green robes. Sakura smiled fondly at her husband._

_"No one asked you, brat! Besides, who're you calling a plush toy? Can't you see I'm in my grand form?"_

_"Well, you're still a plush toy to me."_

_Kero was about to retort when Yue stopped him, "Sakura wants to tell us something."_

_Kero turned questioningly at her, while Syaoran moved to her side. Something about the knowing glances that Sakura and Syaoran exchanged made Kero forget about his food crisis. Both the Guardians felt a sense of apprehensiveness._

_"All creatures are perishable," Sakura started._

_"Why do I feel like this has happened before?" _

_She sighed, "You're right Kero, I called you here to tell you that we're going to die. Syaoran's time has come and I will follow him."_

_Kero blinked and looked at him. Syaoran still looked youthful, though, when it came to sorcerers, appearances could deceive. Both the guardians knew this._

_"Does that mean we will be handed to a new master?" Yue spoke up for the first time._

_Sakura smiled sadly. Kero's dejected face was almost too much to bear. Yue's expression darkened as he frowned, and Sakura knew this situation held too much resemblance to Clow's farewell. _

_Syaoran crouched down so he was at Kero's level, "Do you remember what I once told you about the cycle of reincarnation?"_

_Kero nodded slowly, "That people are born and reborn again and again."_

_"Yes, and we exist in different dimensions and time." He looked up, "Yue?"_

_Yue closed his eyes, "Yes,"_

_"You will see us again," Sakura said, "maybe not as we are now, but in a different form in a different time. Kero, Yue, you two are lucky. You are magical beings and Magic perpetuates. You will get to witness the world change, Magic will change and grow. And you will be present through it all."_

_Though the prospect of watching magic change with time sounded appealing, letting go of beloved people wasn't easy. Both the guardians had experienced this pain once. Losing your creator—the only person that held any importance to you—was like losing an essential limb. You felt disoriented. But the feeling of disorientation had subsided, first for Kero, and later—more slowly—for Yue. They had learnt to love Sakura as family. Even Syaoran—"brat" in Kero's dictionary—had occupied a significant niche in their hearts._

_Yue wondered if being a magical guardian meant not growing attached to anyone, so that you could forsake the people around you at a moment's warning._

_"Of course no," Sakura said. She had long developed telepathy with her guardians. Though she preferred not to listen to their thoughts for the sake of privacy, it was at moments like this that her magic spiraled out of control. She'd had inadvertently heard Yue's thoughts. "you don't need to let anyone go, keep on loving us, and I promise that we'll keep on loving you," she smiled one of her characteristic, warm smiles, "through space and time." _

_" Are we going to be sealed off again and when the new master comes, you're reincarnation will test him or her or whoever it is?" Keroberos asked._

_Sakura shook her head as she took Syaoran's hand in hers, "We have other plans. I don't intend to be reborn with memories of this life."_

_"We will let Death take us and see where afterlife leads us to," Syaoran said._

_" Kero, Yue, I don't know who will come after me, but I do know that they will come after about a century. And you will have to guide them till they're ready and can wield the Cards. You must also look out for the Cards and see that they're handled with love."_

_"Wait," Keroberos spoke out, "Are you saying you couldn't see who the new master will be?"_

_"I didn't want to see." She said simply, "I won't manipulate anything that happens after our death. The Cards will merge with nature and sleep and when the time comes, either Kero or Yue will awaken first."_

_"What you're saying is very vague," Yue said._

_"I know. But this, I can tell you. Times will seem to be very dark and hopeless, but you'll have to keep faith." _

* * *

Somewhere high up in the night sky, the wind swirled around, as white beads materialized. It soon took the form of a winged creature. Yue glowed with translucent light while his body solidified. Milky wings that cocooned him began to unfurl slowly. Once the wings had stretched to their full extent, they flapped and took him higher up in the sky so that he was almost at the same level as the moon.

The Moon Guardian opened his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi there, I'm back. So, here's the second chapter. There's some toyaXyuki moments in here (from the past, actually) and so I decided to change the rating to T. I don't think it's too explicit so as to qualify for M. But if you still think I should change the rating, PM me or tell me in the review.

_"Past"_

"Present"

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story and the minor OCs**

Enjoy and review, please, and tell me what you think, even if it's all flame.

* * *

_Yue spent most of his days as his 'false' form, living with Touya, transforming only when he was needed for some magical spell or the occasional confrontation against dark forces. He dozed off for days at a time, letting Yukito take over. _

_Over the years, they had gradually formed a rapport. Yukito allowed Yue to subdue his consciousness and transform when he needed contact with the outside world. These were the moments when, bathing in the moonlight, Yue would reflect. At other times, when he was in the form of the bespectacled, silver-haired boy, he would sleep—his senses cut off from the world—so Yukito could have some privacy with Touya. _

_Even though he had grown affectionate towards Yukito's love, Clow's loss still pained him. He still wondered if his love for his creator—not the filial love he was expected to feel for his master, but one of intense passion and even sexual attraction—had been unrequited. Clow was vague till the end. Yukito had long been aware of these raging emotions, but he never broached the subject unless Yue took the initiative. _

_Both the Kinomoto siblings had moved out of their house soon after graduation, Fujitaka being the only living resident who remained. They decided to stay in the same neighbourhood, though, Sakura marrying Syaoran and becoming an elementary school teacher. Touya, on the other hand, opened a family restaurant. Where he got the inspiration from was anyone's guess. _

_Yukito often woke up in the mornings with Touya nuzzling against his neck. This morning, too, he felt the slight pressure of Touya's lips on his nape as he spooned him tightly. He smiled with his eyes still closed as Touya's hand snaked beneath the t-shirt and traced patterns on his chest, his abdomen. Touya was familiar with his erogenous zones, and so, it wasn't long before Yukito's grogginess subsided and he was fully alert. He turned around to face Touya and kissed him deeply._

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_Every year, they visited the Tsukimine Shrine with Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo during the festival, for old times' sake. Keroberos always accompanied them in Sakura's handbag._

_"Ni-chan, you have to treat us all with candied apples."_

_"I thought you'd grown up enough to be able to buy that on your own, kaiju."_

_"For the last time, I'm not a monster!" a vein throbbed on her forehead and she balled up her fists in fury._

_"All right, all right, we'll go and buy some," Yukito intervened, his cheerful demeanor contrasting the sibling squabble, "wait for us here," he touched Touya lightly on the arm and led him into the sweet-stall._

_Once he had paid, Touya handed a candied apple to Yukito, "Yuki, is this enough?"_

_Those words brought back memories. His lips curved into a slow, soft smile._

_"We can always go home and make some dinner."_

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_It was a spring noon. Touya had turned eighty-six the previous week. Senile and haggardly, he often required support to walk. Yukito, on the other hand, had Yue's power to sustain him. Though he wasn't simply frozen in time, he had aged less. Yukito appeared as a man in his forties. It felt like a lifetime ago that Yukito had been fading away for want of sustenance, and Touya had given up his magic to keep him alive. Now that Touya was an octogenarian, he felt a sense of dread whenever he thought of their contrasting ageing. But these momentary fears were always accompanied by a serene hope in fate. A knowledge that he and Touya were bound together, that he would never lose sight of him. _

_Soulmates. The word had once fleeted through his mind._

_"Yuki."_

_Yukito looked up from the apple pie that he was gobbling down. _

_"Better be careful while eating that, you never know what a monster puts in her cooking." Sakura had dropped by the previous day and brought an apple pie with her. _

_"Well, you've already finished a slice of it," Yukito said, nodding towards the saucer that still had a few crumbs of the pastry, "You seem to be doing quite fine."_

_"Hn,"_

_"Sakura-chan is a good cook, even you think so,"_

_Touya scoffed._

_"But," Yukito continued, "you'd never admit that, especially in front of her."_

_"Shut up."_

_Yukito chuckled. A comfortable silence settled between them as he continued eating. He slowed his pace, savoring the taste, which was rare. It was moments like this, when he was in no hurry, that he sat with Touya and relished the food as well as his partner's presence._

_"Let's go to the terrace," Touya said once Yukito had finished._

_Yukito stood up, kept the plate on the table and took his hand. He supported most of Touya's weight, and slowly made their way to the grilled porch overlooking cherry blossoms. Yukito helped him get into a comfortable position on the armchair made for two, and then, sat down._

_"To-ya,"_

_"Hm?"_

_"You told Sakura-chan yesterday,"_

_Touya looked questioningly at him._

_"How much you cared for her, that's a first, coming from you. Also, you two didn't bicker much, that's another first." Yukito knew that this change in sibling behavior was not insignificant. The end was near._

_Touya cupped his palm around Yukito's face, "Yuki…"_

_Yukito pressed his own hand against Touya's, and then, pulled it down slowly, squeezing it. They sat there, fingers intertwined, heads resting against each others' as the cherry blossoms trees swayed in the breeze. With each passing moment, their eyelids became heavier and soon, they both dozed off._

* * *

Touya took a turn as he drove onto the avenue, sitting astride his bike. He stifled a yawn. Last night had been a long one; he had worked with his band on the music composition of the new song. He could still hear the tune in his head, as if on a loop.

Guitar had been his passion since childhood. He'd played on the school band during festivals. But that band had only been formed as a co-curricular activity, and so, when time came for them to leave for college, the members selected different career roots. The band dissolved. But, once he joined college for a degree in hotel management, he found three other boys who were as earnest as he was, and aspired for a career in music.

"The Echoes" was formed. Mitsuro was the base guitarist, Shino the drummer, and Yukito the pianist. They were lucky, Touya had to admit. Within five months—after having performed at Karaoke bars and pubs—they had managed to bring out an album, "The Echoes: Awakening"

He skidded to a stop, mentally swearing at the chaotic traffic jam before him. He had already been running against time and the mere thought of having to wait till this logjam cleared made him groan. He looked around and spotted a familiar lane. He swiftly maneuvered his bike into it, violating a traffic law. _A minor one, _Touya thought, _and with the condition the city is in, I'd bet there isn't even a single traffic police._

He emerged out of the lane into a quieter part of the city, where most of the buildings were uninhabited. He passed by a broken window, the shattered glass piled beneath it along with a few broken liquor bottles. A bar fight, maybe. A gust blew, and the glass shreds clinked against each other. The wind blew again, this time in a spiraling motion, stronger, and knocked off a few bricks that were stacked up against a construction site. Touya narrowly avoided the flying bricks.

Pushing the break, he jumped off his bike, momentarily forgetting his hurry. But the wind stilled the moment Touya had stopped. He frowned. Picking up a brick, he saw a strange pattern engraved on it. It was like a flight of stairs, only in different directions, without beginning or ending anywhere.

Then, it hit him, "Oh, shit! I can't be late again."

On his way to college, he saw Yukito at the bus stop. There were only a few other people. "Hey there, Yukito," he called out.

"Touya! Ohayōgozaimasu."

"Yeah, some good morning it was," he said, distracted.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Waiting for a bus?"

"Ah, yeah, route 45"

"Say what, hop on."

Yukito was surprised, but then smiled, "Arigato."

* * *

Touya was settling down in his third class, discussing the mid-term syllabus with Mitsuro. He noticed the dark circles around his eyes.

"Stayed up all night?"

"Yeah, did some fine-tuning with the guitar. You know what, I might've come up with a way to make the new song sound better."

"That's great."

"I'll show 'em to you at the rehearsal. Come to think of it, we haven't named it yet."

"We'll come up with something once we're done with it. Hey, it's great how far we've come in such a short time, but don't push yourself too much. You need your sleep, too."

As the band's unofficial leader, Touya had little trouble coordinating the members or urging them to give it their best. It was surprising, at times, how ceaseless their reserve of energy could be when it came to practicing or creating music.

Mitsuro nodded. Touya noticed a translucent outline of a key on the opposite wall.

"What?" Mitsuro asked, turning to see what Touya was looking at. But, the faint outline vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Nothing."

He ended up repeating that word quite a few times that day. He would see pearl-white strings creeping along the corners of the walls or the floor. They were barely discernable against the white-washed walls and the tiled floors, but Touya always noticed them. And every time, he would feel a jolt, shaking him to the core.

Touya was about to step onto a flight of stairs when the staircase vanished. Looking up, he saw it floating ten feet above the ground. He gasped, the classrooms around him had disappeared. He was alone, and in front of him lay a corridor with no door or window, a white tunnel extending up to infinity.

A wind blew, quickly morphing into a gale. It encompassed him, making him the eye of a cyclone. Touya shielded his eyes from the piercing velocity of the wind, his hair flailing wildly.

"What is this?" he wondered aloud as he strained to see past the swirling wind.

"You have to capture the card," a voice said.

"What? Who are you?" Touya felt the wind closing in on him, but at the same time, he sensed an immense energy radiating from somewhere near him.

The continuous motion of the wind was disrupted, and it blew in a wayward frenzy. For a moment, Touya thought the wind would crash into him and thrust him backwards, but then it was dispelled.

A pale, winged man in white robes stood in front of him.

"Get up now," he said in a quiet, curt voice. The outstretched wings swayed, and aligned into a folded position behind him.

"You're the chosen one. The one destined to collect the Sakura cards," he said this without much animation as he fixed his steely gaze on Touya.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi there,  
Thanks for reading this far, but I'm a bit sad that there are only two reviews even though many have read it. I really want to know what you guys think.  
Back to the story, there's no scene from the past in this chapter and it's all Touya-the-Cardcaptor. And I'm a bit confused, is Maze a girl or a boy? I know that the cards aren't exactly supposed to have any gender, but still, it's quite obvious that Windy is feminine. So is Earthy, Fight, Light, Dark and almost every one of them. Clow seems to have avoided making any of the cards boyish.

"Actual Dialogue"  
_Thoughts._

Disclaimer: I only own the story and minor OCs (though they make no appearance in this chapter)

Enjoy

* * *

Yue was still astonished as he took in the raven hair and those black eyes. The aura of the magic that awakened him had felt strikingly familiar, and yet, it was as if he were seeing a ghost. Had he slumbered through time and was now standing in the past? If indeed this boy was Kinomoto Touya, then Yukito's soul would still be merged with his own. But as he searched deep within the crevices of his being, he found no trace of his 'false' form.

The boy in front of him scrambled to his feet. Yue kept his face an impassive mask as he watched him straighten up. The look of bewilderment in his eyes was replaced with a wary one.

Yue took a chance, "Touya, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Kobayashi Touya."

_The surname isn't the same. _

Yue could see that this Touya was taking an effort to pull himself together. He didn't ask silly questions or assumed this was just a wild dream. Yue was pleased that this boy wasn't as clueless as he'd dreaded; he was accommodating himself with the disarray of magical presences around him. Perhaps he'd had previous encounters with magic.

"What are these 'cards' that I have to capture? And why me?" his voice was steady with only the barest hint of a tremor.

_Because you are the reincarnation of the former cardcaptor's brother, born with immense reserves of magic. _But Yue decided that talking of past lives would not be prudent. Instead, he settled for answering only the first question. "The cards are the capsulated forms of magical entities, each having a specific kind of ability. More explanation will have to wait."

"So what you're saying is that my college vanished because of these magical entities."

"Maze card. And the college didn't vanish; you alone are under its influence. The cyclone was Windy."

"Two, then. How do I capture them? I can't just simply grab one after the other."

"You will need The Sealing Wand. It's somewhere near you, find it." _Magic beckons magic, _Li used to say.

Touya started looking around him, turning this way and that. He put a hand on the wall and banged his palm against it.

Yue held up his hand to stop him from doing anything further. "Not like that. Sense it with your magic."

* * *

_Sense it with your magic._

Touya closed his eyes and stilled himself. Despite his apparent composure, uncertainty still plagued him. Was this a dream? Had he lost his sanity? Would he regain his consciousness and find himself in a shrink's chamber? Was this real? Did he even possess magic?

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, he felt the palpitation of a thousand tiny droplets suspended in the air around him, blinking in unison, a bit like fireflies in a moonless night. Upon registering this new presence, Touya willed himself to calm down. One by one, he expelled his own doubts. This was not a dream. He was as sane as he ever could be. He would not find himself in a shrink's chamber, but in his college compound once this was over. This was as real as life was. And when he felt the scattered droplets accumulating in front of him as if pulled by a magnet—pulled by him—he knew he possessed magic.

He felt a light wind ruffle his hair, but now, he could distinguish it from the gale that had encompassed him earlier. He opened his eyes and saw the outline of the same key materialize before him. First, a translucent light filled within the outline, and then, it solidified into a deep violet coloor. On the hilt of the key was a crescent moon in pearl-white colour cradling a golden sun.

"Key of the seal," Yue's drone cut in, "this boy will carry out the sacred promise. His name is Kobayashi Touya. I command you to bestow him with your magical powers. Touya, take the key."

As soon as Touya touched it, the key transformed into a staff.

"I, Yue, name Touya cardcaptor."

Touya saw Windy rush towards him from his left. She sent two gusts of wind colliding with the both of them, pushing them away from each other. An oval capsule formed around him, rendering him unable to move.

"Use your Sealing Wand," Yue shouted from across the hall, trapped in a similar bubble of wind, "bid her to return to her card form."

"Plain Japanese will do?" he shouted back. But before Yue could respond, Windy hurled him onto the ground. She then aimed another gust at Touya's arm, causing him to lose his grip on the staff. She flung him on the floor and prevented him from moving.

"Windy," Yue called out, his voice strained, "you are under my jurisdiction. I command you to stop this."

The weight lifted from Touya's chest and he immediately snatched his wand. One look at Windy's face told him that stopping was not her own will, but whatever the winged man had declared about jurisdiction was evidently true. Without wasting his time, he touched the sun-and-moon hilt of his staff on her head, "Windy, I bid you to return to your true form, Sakura Card!"

There was a substantial change in the heaviness of the ambiance. Touya felt as if a weight had been removed from the air as the card descended into his upturned palm. Yet, there was another presence, which he assumed was The Maze.

The endless hall changed its form into a labyrinth and above him, Touya could see the sky.

"Can't you command The Maze to withdraw this labyrinth as well?"

"It isn't under my jurisdiction."

"Then whose?"

Yue shook his head, "Later."

Touya decided he'd have time once he was out of this labyrinth. "Does it have a human form as well?"

"Not exactly, you have to find the core of its power and seal it from there."

Touya nodded. One thing he'd learned within his short time as a Cardcaptor was how to detect a presence. He closed his eyes and let his senses stretch to every nook and corner until he found a particular spot where the magic was the densest. Touya also felt the place throbbing with a much higher frequency.

He started walking towards his right and took a left turn with Yue silently following him. Just as he was about to take another turn, the labyrinth changed its form and rearranged its walls, muddling Touya's sense of direction. He located the core of its power, this time in a different place, but as he attempted to follow it, The Maze reshaped its structure once again.

_Damn. If only I could reach the core… _Touya noticed the hilt of his staff glow for a moment. That gave him an idea.

_Plain Japanese will do, _he thought. "The Wand that holds the power of the Sun and the Moon," he glanced at Yue for affirmation and when he gave a small nod, Touya continued, "I bid thee to light the path so that I may capture The Maze"

A blaze of light shot forth from the staff and trailed through a distinct path. The walls around them shuffled and reshuffled, but the trail of light remained in its place. He found that the trail led them to the centre of the labyrinth. Once he'd reached the spot which he knew to be the core, he touched the hilt of his staff to the ground.

"Return to your true form, The Maze!"

Wind swirled around him as the walls dissolved and a card lay on the ground. From the corner of his eyes Touya saw Yue's wings unfurl. He turned to face him.

"I can't stay in this form when people can see me. We'll meet again, later."

The feathered wings enclosed him, a faint blue light outlining him. The cocoon of wings morphed into a bird that looked like a cross between a dove and a phoenix. The bird flew away and Touya saw his surroundings change back into the college corridor. The bell rang and students filtered out of their classes, the quiet that had been there before gave in to the chatter of numerous young voices. They all seemed to be heading towards the main gate. Confused, Touya glanced at his watch.

He had bunked the last three classes.

* * *

AN: I know you guys are surprised (and probably angry too) that Yue changed into a white bird instead of Yukito. I'd wanted to include the explanation in this chapter, but it turned out to be too long. So, it's in the next one.  
Review and tell me what you think


	4. Chapter 4

Hi,

I know it's a bit late, but since school has started, I'm going to be a bit irregular in my updates. But I'll try and keep a steady pace.

I'm updating two chapters at once. They were originally meant to be one, but I guess it turned out too long, so I'm splitting them.

One thing I'm a bit worried about is Sakura and Syaoran's characterization and the portrayal of their relationship. It's a small scene in fact, but I want to get as close to their original characterization as possible. I don't have the same worries regarding present-day Touya and Yukito because they _are _in the future after all, and their times are different from that of the original. So as long as I keep their essence intact somewhere inside them, I'm not too worried about adding or removing certain aspects from their characterization. But in the scenes from the past, I want the characterization to be as real as possible. So if you think something's missing, or Sakura-Syaoran relationship isn't good enough, please tell me what I can do to improve.

The song Touya's band is seen composing in this chapter is actually "Passion Colours Everything" by "Poets of the fall"

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. If I did, I'd probably focus a lot more on touyaXyuki…

"_Past"_

"Present"

Enjoy and review

* * *

_Sakura sniffed as she shuffled the cards into a deck and placed them in the book. Try a she may, but the tears didn't stop. _

"_Sakura! What's wrong?" Syaoaran was beside her in a minute, holding her and trying to stop the sobbing._

"_It's…..Ni-chan….." she wiped her tears away._

_Sakura looked up to see that Syaoran's worried expression had been replaced by one of solemn understanding. That renewed the tears. Syaoran hugged her and she rested her forehead in the crook of his neck._

_A few minutes passed before Syaoran started saying, "Did he….is he….?"_

_She shook her head and sniffed, "Not yet, the day after tomorrow…I…..had a vision…."_

_At that, Syaoran hugged her even tighter._

"_I know I shouldn't be this sad," she said through tears, "Yukito will go with him, he'll be happy….in another time….but…I'll miss oni-chan so much," her voice broke at that._

_Though Syaoran wondered how Yukito could "go" with Touya, and if he did, what that would mean for Yue, he didn't ask anything. His only concern was consoling Sakura. It took a whole night of holding her for her tears to subdue. Once the sobs subsided, he let the silence stretch on for a while before saying, "Sakura…..you should pay him a visit."_

'_A last visit,' he thought, though he never voiced it._

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_Sakura spent the next morning baking an apple pie. Syaoran and Kero helped, Kero being more interested in tasting the batter than actually baking. _

"_That pie is only for onii-chan and Yukito-san," she warned when Kero was about to dig in._

_He protested, of course, saying that Touya had celebrated his birthday only a few days ago, but before he could take a bite, Syaoran took hold of the plush toy by its collar. He fixed a serious gaze on him, "It's very important to Sakura that her big brother eats this."_

_At that, Kero understood. He flew to her and placed a tiny paw on her face, "It'll be all right."_

_Her lower lip trembled, but she held back the tears, "Thank you, Kero-chan."_

* * *

Yue was perched on the roof of a 50-storeyed building, in his miniature form. It was early morning and people were trickling out into the streets, going about with their daily routine. He watched as Touya's bike came to a stop, where a silver-haired teen climbed onto it.

It had been a week since Kobayashi Touya became a Cardcaptor, during which he had captured Shield, Sword and Jump. Yue had explained to him the creation and history of the Cards; the fact that they had been created by Clow Reed—hence initially called Clow Cards—and had later been recaptured and changed by a certain girl, Kinomoto Sakura. Touya was surprised to know that his predecessor had only been a fourth grader while capturing the cards and asked why he had been initiated so late. Yue had himself not expected to find his next master any older than thirteen years and so, instead of giving a relevant answer, her simply muttered, "Magic changes with time."

Even he didn't know what it meant.

* * *

"The Echoes" was gathered in the garage adjoining a residential apartment that they rented. The owner even let them have the key so long they paid the rent in time. If they didn't, the owner had warned, he'd change the locks.

It had been remodeled to serve as their rehearsal room, and it was within these four walls that all of their songs had been conceived. They were in the middle of their newest song, which they had temporarily named "Passion."

"_I danced in tune with what I fear_

_To do adrenaline_

_Completely rapt with what I hear_

_When passion colours everything…"_

It was 10:45 by the time they'd wrapped up. "It's good that the song's finished," Yukito said.

"Yeah, but I'm still not sure if I like 'Passion' or 'Passion Colours Everything' better," Mitsuro remarked as he packed his guitar and headed for the door, "Anyway, gotta get going, I've got cram sessions tomorrow. See you later."

"I think I'll go with 'Passion Colours Everything.' That's what the song says, it isn't passion, but how it's everywhere," Shino said as he tugged at his wrist-band, rotating it so that the scorpion design was aligned with his palm.

"I agree," Yukito concurred. He then remembered something, "What about that show on the radio we were trying for? Are they willing to air us?" the question was mostly directed at Touya, as he was in charge of most of the organization matters.

Touya sighed, "They're still confused about the time slot, so nothing's sure yet."

"Hope they let us." Mitsuro said, waving them goodbye. They were outside and Mitsuro began trotting towards his house—it was at walking distance.

Shino swung his legs over his bike as Touya fumbled with the key to the garage. "Are they postponing because they don't have a slot free or because they don't want to?"

Touya grimaced, "They're….reluctant."

"Shoot," Shino cursed as he revved the engine and sped away. Yukito lingered.

Touya was about the pull down the shutter when he spotted a glowing, oblong shape accompanied by a sudden surge of magical aura. He recognized it instantly and swore. _But Yukito's here. How do I—_

He couldn't finish the thought as a beam of light shot towards him. He narrowly avoided it, but the beam changed its direction and pursued him.

Yukito was a horror-struck audience to all of this, and Touya internally groaned. He pulled out the key and The Shield Card. He was yet to use any of the Sakura Cards. The ones he had collected were rather easy and didn't require any magical combat. But he felt he desperately needed The Shield now.

"The key that holds the power of the sun and the moon, reveal your true form to me. Release!" A gust of wind swallowed him as the key elongated and transformed into a sun-and-moon staff.

"Shield Card, release!"

The wind threw the beam of light off its track as The Shield Card soared above his head, glowing. Touya felt a barrier as he tried to activate the card. The Shield Card shook and stopped glowing, then dropped to the ground. He frowned, "What—?"

A hand grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into the garage, a bolt of light hitting the ground where Touya had been a moment before.

"What's happening?" Yukito whispered. Touya turned around to see that they were both sprawled on the floor with Yukito's hand trapped beneath him. But he didn't complain about his hand; he was too baffled to register the pain. Touya also noticed that he was trembling slightly, the bizarreness of the situation too much to take in. He wanted to explain, but he realized that they were in a room full of musical instruments and there was a Card out there that was bent on charring him.

"The instruments! We can't let it come inside here."

Despite the bafflement, Yukito was quick to realize the threat that was looming over their priceless instruments. They scrambled to their feet and ran towards the exit, but an elfin creature stopped them. The Shot Card hovered above them, her hair a wild shock of pink with a yellow stripe running through the middle. She squinted at them and prepared another bolt.

"No, not here," Touya dreaded what the outcome would be, "Please don't shoot here," he muttered.


	5. Chapter 5

Yue darted through the sky. He had been late to perceive the awakening of a Sakura Card and was now straining to reach where his new master was, before it was too late.

When he reached the spot, The Shot Card was just a millisecond away from firing at Touya. He dived in and enclosed the two boys in a protective embrace of his wings. He took the blow. The pain seared through him and he ground his teeth. Once the firing paused, he stretched his wings and flapped them vigorously, producing a strong wind that sent The Shot wheeling backwards. His wings stung, but he ignored it. He'd recover.

"Yue," Touya sighed, "nice timing. Are you all right?"

"Hm"

"Yue?" the boy beside Touya asked.

His eyes fell on the bespectacled boy. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realized this was the reincarnation of his other half.

Touya noticed the direction of Yue's gaze. "This is an accident," he said apologetically, and then he added to the silver-haired boy, "Yukito, how about I explain everything later?"

Yukito nodded.

"But I don't understand one thing," Touya said, turning to Yue, "You said that my predecessor was able to use the Cards while collecting them. Why can't I activate Shield then?"

Yue would have answered if not for The Shot Card approaching them again.

"Let's get out of here first," Touya said, motioning towards the instruments.

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"You weren't able to activate The Shield because the card is still fed by the power of the stars whereas your staff is the power of the sun and the moon," Yue said as they ran through the street, narrowly evading Shot's fire bolts. Yue was flying above them, absorbing the fires that they weren't able to avoid. "She had to collect the cards first, and then transform them. But in your case, apparently, you will have to go on transforming as you capture them."

"Magic changes with time," he heard Touya mutter under his breath.

"All right, then." Touya came to a halt. "Card sustained by the power of Stars, discard your old form and be reborn, under the power of The Sun and Moon. Shield Card! Fend off Shot's fires."

As Touya touched the hilt of his staff to the Card, a blinding light shot forth from the card and it morphed into a gigantic wing. It shielded them from The Shot Card. But it was only temporary.

He then bid Windy to change her form and enclose The Shot Card's elfin form in a bubble. He touched the staff on her head and repeated the chant, sealing her into a card—a Sakura Card.

It flew into his hand, "Should I transform this one as well?"

Yue was mildly surprised that Touya was already capable of transforming two cards at once, but he knew that one more would be too much. He shook his head. "You've already exhausted a lot of your magic, even if you can't feel it yet."

He nodded.

"Touya," Yukito spoke up for the first time, "Can you explain….what it….everything that just happened?"

_He is yet to become accustomed to the strangeness of what has transpired, _Yue observed.

Touya, on his part, was extremely awkward and clueless as to how to explain, "Um…..would you mind if we locked the garage first?"

Yukito was momentarily rattled; it was evident that he'd forgotten about the unlocked garage.

"N-no," he stammered, "of course not. Those instruments were almost burned down today. You're right, we should make sure they're safe first." He started walking, but Touya just stood there.

After a few steps, Yukito noticed that neither of them was following him. He turned around and eyed Touya and then Yue. "You two might want to talk," he said. Yue could tell that Yukito was still uncomfortable with his presence, but he continued, "You can give me the key, I'll lock the garage."

Touya nodded and dropped the key into his outstretched palm.

Once Yukito had covered a considerable distance, Touya began walking at a slower pace. Yue followed suit.

"Damn," Touya said, "it won't do good if he tells everyone about the Cards, will it?"

Yue shook his head.

"How do I explain everything to him _and_ convince him to keep quiet?"

"Can you not convince him?"

"I can try. Isn't there some magic that can make him forget this incident?"

Yue was more than a little surprised at that. It took him a moment longer than it should have to answer, "There is The Erase Card. But you are yet to capture it."

Touya nodded, "Ok, I'll manage him till we get The Erase Card." He then walked faster so that he could catch up with Yukito.

Yue contemplated. This was so unlike the Touya he remembered, so doubtful of Yukito. The Touya he had known would have trusted Yukito with his life—he even had. _But that was another time, another life, _Yue reminded himself.

* * *

Touya was dragging a disfigured bike while Yukito walked beside him silently. When they'd reached the garage, they found that one of Shot's rampaging bouts of light-bolts had hit Touya's bike. The metallic exterior had melted and fused with the seat, and one of the wheels had come off. It resembled nothing less than trash now. But he was adamant that it could still be repaired.

Yue had parted from them at the garage after asking if they needed to be carried, to which Touya refused—he had a feeling that explaining to Yukito would be easier without the overwhelming presence of a winged creature. Yue flew away without transforming into his bird form—perhaps so as not to shock Yukito anymore. It was past midnight, and there was no hope of finding a cab.

Touya broke the silence. "About what happened….how do I start…." He paused for a moment, "Do you believe in magic?" he felt like an idiot, asking the question.

"My grandfather used to," he replied slowly, "and after today, I guess I know grandfather's beliefs had some truth in it."

"Well, honestly, even I didn't believe until it happened."

For a while, Yukito didn't reply. "When did 'it' happen?"

"A week ago."

"You seemed to be a pro," he said, smirking slightly.

Even though Yukito was joking, he still avoided meeting Touya's eyes.

"So…..these are cards that you have to collect?" he asked.

"Yeah, they're capsulated forms of magical entities, each having a specific kind of ability," he repeated Yue's exact words. "They'd been created by a certain powerful magician, Clow Reed. After his death, the cards were sealed along with their guardians—the winged creature that you saw, Yue. Then a new mistress came, a girl name Sakura. And now….. well you saw what happened out there."

Yukito was quiet as he—Touya assumed—chewed on the information. "Why didn't these cards pass onto the descendants?"

Touya frowned; this was something he had a very limited idea about. Yue had mentioned that Clow never had any children, only distant relatives. And he'd been very vague about Sakura's children. "As far as I know, none of them had any direct descendants."

They heard the sound of bikes approaching them. Turning around, Touya saw that there were five bikes, each of whose drivers was clad in black leather jacket and boots, the outline of pistols hanging from their belts. Muggers—one of the drawbacks of staying out late in the Tokyo streets.

He wondered why everything had to happen in one day. "Can you cover for me?"

Yukito nodded.

He ran to a darker corner of the street, Yukito positioning himself in front of him so that Touya was partially hidden from view.

"Windy!" he whispered, "create a gust, blind them, so that we can escape."

Windy herself was invisible as she created winds in all the wrong directions, confusing the bikers. Touya and Yukito took the opportunity to run. Behind him, Touya heard one of the bikers crashing into the other. A pandemonium ensued there and soon, they lost them.

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"How long will it take for your bike to be repaired?" Yukito asked once they'd reached his house.

"A week, two weeks….I really can't say." Touya despaired a bit.

"We'll share a bus ride then," Yukito said, meeting Touya's eyes for the first time since the episode with The Shot, "until you're bike's fixed. If that's alright with you" he added hastily.

"Yeah, of course," he replied, surprised and relieved that the revelation hadn't affected their friendship.

"Ok." He smiled—a small smile, but a genuine one.

He opened his door and was about to enter it when he turned to face him "Oh, and your secret's safe with me."

* * *

_Touya watched as Yukito opened the door to let Sakura in. These days, it was Yukito who did most of the work around the house. No, he did all the work, including taking care of him._

_She handed him a box, which she said contained an apple pie. Thanking her, he went into the kitchen to prepare some smacks for them. Touya motioned for his sister to come and sit beside him on the sofa. Though the siblings were only seven years apart, owing to Sakura's magic, they looked more like father and daughter. Sakura's appearance was that of one in her early thirties, while Touya had enough grey hair and wrinkles to show his age. _

_Touya noticed that the cheerful demeanor of his sister was missing. She asked commonplace questions like how they were doing and if he needed her to do something for him. She also seemed to be telling him "thank you for all you've done" in many roundabout ways, often inserting vague words in between sentences. He figured._

"_So, I'm about to die soon. Is that what the monster has predicted?"_

_Touya watched as, for the first time, Sakura did not retort back. Instead, she hung her head low, eyes watering._

_He reached out and patted her head. "I love you, you know that."_

_Sakura nodded._

_Touya sighed and drew his hand back, "Well, I've looked out for you while I could. But I guess you've grown quite a bit," he smiled, "I'm proud of you."_

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_The following day, the breeze carried the fragrance of cherry blossoms to a terrace where two men drifted off to sleep, their fingers interlaced and breathing in unison. The older of the two drew his last breath, stirred a bit in his sleep, and then let it go._

_Somewhere far off, a shrine bell chimed._

_The silver-haired man disappeared, leaving in his place a pile of clothes and a very confused winged creature. Time seemed to move slowly as the pale, magical creature checked the man beside him, confirming he was dead, and then looked at the articles of clothing. The surrounding air warped and time stopped altogether. From afar, a certain magician of the name Kinomoto Sakura activated The Return Card._

_Yue was shown a flashback of the last few hours of Touya and Yukito's lives. Sakura's voice in the background explained that since Yukito had been bound to Touya through time and space, the part of Yue's soul containing Yukito's personality and emotions had split and drifted into space. The frown on Yue's brow cleared and he tipped his head to look at Touya's lifeless face. Perhaps he mourned, but there was no proof of that as his gaze remained impassive and detached._

_Once the effect of magic had worn off, time resumed its natural flow. The cherry blossom petals that had stilled mid-air continued their descent towards the ground, and the wind picked up a mild pace. The Moon Guardian soared up in the sky and flew towards his mistress. Twilight befell as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, taking away another day and another pair of bound lives._

* * *

AN: I know this only explains why Yukito and Yue became two different entities, but not how Yue's false form became a phoenix-dove cross bird. I already have reason in my mind, but I haven't exactly decided how to incorporate the scenes in the story. I guess you guys will just have to wait for upcoming chapters.

One more thing. I know that I portrayed Tokyo as a city that's basically unsafe; especially in the night (both in this chapter as well as that scene about the aftermath of a bar fight). This is not to make a negative impression of the city. It's just that I wanted to show a grim scenario of the future. It's the reason Sakura had said "Times might seem hopeless."

Thanks for reading...and review :-)


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